Water-level-indicator instrument



H. S. PARKS.

WATER LEVEL INDICATOR INSTRUMENT. APPLICATION FILED AUG-28, 1919.

1,3,?931 P t May 31 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

H. S. PARKS.

Patented May 31, 19211.

W a m w m W M a m x 7 Mm WW i $MMJ 5 a i n. V IMVV m 2 v 4 in A 1E5 m h mi w T} J WATER LEVEL INDICATOR INSTRUMENT.

APPLICAflON FILED AUG-28.1919.

innrso srATEs zcr'onrroe.

ears

CATOR COMPANY, or new YORK,

NZ Y A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

WATER-LEVEL-INDICAT OR INSTRUMENT Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 311, 11921.

Application filed Augifst 28,1919. Serial No. 320,386.

To all whom it may concern:

Be. it known that I, HARRY S. PARKS, a citizenof the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphla and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Water- L-evel-Indica'tor Instruments, of which the following is a specification.

The purpose of the present invention 1s to provide an instrument WlllCl'l is adapted to be located at a distance from a steam 'boiler or other container of liquid under pressure, and either at the same level pr'art a level above or below that of the llquld contents of the boiler, etc., for showing with reference to an index the amount by which under boiler pressure.

the actual present level of liquid in the boiler differs from a given reference level. This instrument is the indicating end of; a system which is adapted to transmit, through pipe lines containing liquid, the pressure due to a column of water rising to a height above the boiler water level and beingunde'r boiler pressure, and that due to the head of water in the boilerlikewise --Two pipe lines are provided, one of which is connected with the boiler, so that the pressure acting therein is equal to that of a column of water rlsmg to the actual present level of water in the boiler, lus

steam pressure; and the other of whic is maintained full of water up to a glv'en. height above the normal boiler level, and is. under the same steam pressure, whereb the pressure acting inside the last-name pipe is as much greaterthan that actlngm the first pipe as the head of water is higher than; the boiler water level. These plpe hnes are respectively connectedv to the lower ends of two indicator tubesfiv'hich are joined together at their. upper ends and hermetically sealed,

containing a body of air or other gas in their communicating portions Thus the pressure of the trapped air is equalto the oiler ressure plus or minus the-difierence in hea due to whatever amount the Hullcator maybe below or above theboiler level and thetwotubes of the indicator contain water columns which are controlled respectively by the water pressures in the two pipe lines abpve described, and therefore rise to The present invention is an improvement on an indicator heretofore devised by me and used in such a system as that just above briefly described. The mode previously disclosed of entrapping air or other gas in the sealed upperpart of the indicator was to allow the tubes first to become full of air before turning into them the full pressure of the boiler and of the water in the pipe lines. When theboiler pressure is, however, high, the'compression to which the air thus trapped-must be brought before its pressure equals that of the boiler may in some cases diminish its volume so much as to bring the levels of the indicating columns so near the upper ends of the indicator tubes that readings may be diflicult. Accordingly, the object of this invention is toaiford means in connection with such an instrument by which to control the volume of'air entrapped .in the indicating tubes, and to cause the volume thus entrapped to be great enough, even when pressed. to the full boiler pressure, to hold thewater columns in the tubes down to a level at whichthey can be easily Seen. I 1

The means by which I prefer to give effect to the object thus stated is that particularly described in the following specification and illustrated in the drawings referred to therein, but other forms embodying my vprinciples may be made within the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

In the drawings: I Figure 1 is an elevation of the instrument as a whole, including the indicating col- 'p'mns, volume container and pipe connee ions.

protection secured by the Fig. 2 is an elevation, but with rts broken away and shown in section, 0 the indicating'itubes and scale of'the 'nistrulne'nt.

. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of the volume chamber."

' Like reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the figures.

Preferably theindicator is contained in a case 1, havmg a door 2,- provided with transparent panel 3', and it comprises two column-containing tubes, 1 and 5, which, as

i lengthwise, and is suitably graduated.

Preferably the zero mark 8 of this scale represents the position which one of the' water columns in the indicator should have when the water in the boiler is at the level prescribed as the normal level; while the other graduations may run up or down from the zero mark in terms of inches or other units of measurement above or below such normal level. There maybe, also, on this scale, a graduation 9, representing the maximum level, that is, the level corresponding to that of the column of fixed height.

, -The caseor frame 1 carrying these tubes and scales is connected to. a chamber 10,

which I callthe volume chamber or con-.

tainer, which, as appears from Fig. 3, is a hollow'body. A nipple 11, on the lower end of the case, screws upon the threaded upper end of this volume chamber. The lower end of the chamber is connected to a pipe fitting 12,'having two passageways 18 and 14', from each of which. are two branches, controlled by three-way valves 15 and 16 respectively.

The branch 17 from the passage .13 is connected with the pipe line; which connects with the boiler, and is subjected to variable pressure, according to the height of water in the boiler; while the branch 18 of the pas-f Such compensating means are embodied here sage 14 is connected to the constant level waterleg, that is, the water column which rises to a fixed" height above the normal boiler water level. The other branches 19 and 20 respectively are drains. From the passage 13 there runs a pipe 21 through the entire length of the volume chamber to the lowerend of the inner tube 5, to which it is connected by a coupling 22 of any suitable sort. .As the tubes are made of glass from practical necessity, thisconnector is pref-. erably a sectlon of rubber tubing.

The outer tube is open at its lower end, and it rests at that end upon a packing washer, which is seated on a conformable shoulder 24in the upper end of the volume chamber.

' preferably of rubbenoriother soft material,

which bears on the closed end of the tube 4.

Theother passage ".14 in the connection 12 to the drip outlet 20.

D Pressure on the tube to make a. tight joint at this place is applied by a is connected to a tube 28, which rises to a given height within the chamber 10, and the length of which may be altered at need.

Prior to putting the instrument nto action, it is filled with water up to the level of thetop of tube 28 (in case it should have been previously empty), or, if it was previously filled with water, the water is drawn off to the same level, 1) turning the cock 16 30th tubes of the indicator and the chamber are now full of air above the level of water which rises to the top of tube 28. Then, upon turning the cooks 15 and 16 to connect the pipe lines with the instrument, the boiler pressure causes water to flow through these pipe lines and the passages 13 and 1& into the volume chamber and the inner and outer indicating tubes respectively. The air previously in the tubes and chamber is compressed into the tubes until its pressure equals the pressure of the boiler, when the indicator is at the same height as boiler level, or is greater or less than the boiler pressure by the amount of the water head when it is respectively below or above the boiler water level.

The object of the volume chamber, of course, is to provide so large a volume of air that, when thus compressed. it will hold back the water columns in the indicating tubes a great enough distance below the tops of these tubes'for the levels in such columns to be seen through the transparent pane of the door, and preferably, also, as nearly as possible midway between the upper and lower ends thereof; but, as instruments of the same size and volume capacity are adapted for use with different boilers, carrying very different pressures, it is evident that the position of the water column heads will vary according to the boiler pressure unless compensating means are provided.

'the working boiler pressure. For shortening-the tube, it is only necessary to out off its upper end. This can be done readily enough after first unscrewing the fitting 12 from the volume chamber. Then the proportion'of the volume chamber occupied in. the first place by water becomes less, and it is then possible -to apply a higherboiler pressure without raising the indicating columns beyond the desired point. To adjust.-

for lower boiler pressures, by providing for a greater initial content of water in the volume chamber, a longer tube 28 may be substituted for that previously in place. However, I need not necessarily make theseadjustments by either cutting'olf a tube which is too long or substituting a longer one for one that istoo short, but I maymake the same tube adjustable for length in either directlon within certain limits by making it telescopic in a well understood manner.

The mode of operation of the indicator will be readily understood without detailed explanation. It is sufficient to say that the order more strikingly to show the height ofcolumns rise in the tubes 4 and 5 respectively to relatively different heights in proportion as the column of water in the pipe line which is connected to the one tube risesto a greater height than the present boiler level, the head of which is transmitted through the other pipe line to the other indicating tube. 29 represents a float, which is provlded in the inner tube, and is supported by the column of water therein in V the column therein.

The cock 30, shown in Fig. 3, is provided to drain the volume chamber when it becomes necessary to withdraw all water therefrom.

' It is to be remembered that I do not limit bered that the description of use is inthis specification simply to explain the nature of the invention, and is not a limitation of its utility or scope. I claim as my invention all the novel features of the instrument itself, whatever the use may be to which it is put, and whether that use is for indicating the level of water in a steam boiler or the level of any other liquid in a tank under the pressure of its own vapor or any other gaseous pressure, and whether the indicating liquid in the tubes is water or a different ters Patent is:

1. The combination with .an indicator. having two legs connected at their upper ends, of a volume chamber connected to one of the legs of said indicator and adapted to contain air to be displaced into the indicator by flow thereto of liquid under pressure.

2. An indicatorfor measuringthe level of-liquid in a container with reference to a' fixed level, comprising essentially an inverted U-tube the legs of which are-in communication with one another at, their upper ends, means for connecting pipe lines contalmng liquid u der pressure to the respec- -tube, and a volume-charm:

of said pipe lines withone of said legs.- I

3. A liquid level indicator, comprising inner and outer indicating tubes in communication at their upper ends-and the outer tube being hermetically sealed at its upper end, liquid-containing pipe lines one of which is in connection with the lower end of said inner tube, and a volume chamber connected with the other pipe line and with the bottom of said outer tube and containing a quantity of gas adapted to be displaced into and compressed in said tube under inflow thereto of liquid under pressure.

4. A liquid level indicator, comprising inner and outer indicating tubes in communication at their upper ends and the outer tube being hermetically sealed at its upper end, liquid-containing pipe lines one of which is in connection with the lower end of said inner 'tube, a volume chamber connected at its top with the bottom of the outer tube and being sealed at its bottom, and a tube from the other pipe line rising into said chamber above the bottom thereof and adapted to serve as an overflow for water placed in the chamber prior to putting the indicator into action '5. A liquid level indicator, comprising {inner and outer indicating tubes 1n communication at their upperends and the outer tube being hermetically sealed at its upper end, liquid containing pipe lines one of which is in connection with'thelower end of said inner tube, a volume chamber connected at its top with the bottom of the outer tube and being sealed at its bottom, and a tube from the other pipe line rising into said chamber above the bottom thereof and adapted to serve as an overflow for water placed in the chamber prior to putting the indicator intoaction, said last-named tube being adjustable in length whereby to regu late the proportion of-the chamber then to contain l1qu1d.

6. An indicator instrument, comprising the "combination withconduits adaptedto contain liquid under pressure, of a chamber,

1i uid. a tube entering saidchamber from one of What I claim and desire to secureby Let- Y the conduits and rising to a height between the top and bottom thereof, an inverted U- tube indicator having one of its legs connected to the top of 'said chamber,"an'd connecting means between the other leg'of the indicator and the other conduit.

7 A liquid level indicator for showing'the fluctuating height of liquid in a boiler or other container at a distance therefrom, comprising an indicatorinstrument having two legs incommunicationwith one another at or near their upper ends and adapted to containentrappe'd as in their communicating upper .parts, and p1pe connections for leading water or other liquid from a boiler or similar. container to one of said le s and from a liquid column of constant height to the other of said legs respectively, the liquid in both the container and the column of constant height being under the same elastic fluid pressure, distinguished by a Volume chamber interposed between the bottom of one of said legs and the pipe connection run-f ning to that leg and adapted .to contain gas 5 prior-to the admission of th'liquid under pressure to the indicator instrument, which gas, being displaced into sald instrument and compressedtherein, prevents rise of the liquid to an objectionable height in the legs of the instrument. c 10 In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

H RRY s. PARKS. 

